The FreeWheel Council for Premium Video Europe (FWCE) has today announced the launch of its latest whitepaper, Defining a View, The Impact of Evolving Video Dynamics, which provides an overview of viewability standards for premium video and the digital industry as a whole, and explores how current metrics could evolve.

The latest position paper from the advocacy group, which includes research and insights from major European broadcasters and operators such as Channel 4, Medialaan, Canal+ and TF1, calls for more collaboration across industry stakeholders to keep evolving the measurement and verification to meet the needs of the modern advertising industry, and concludes that viewability alone cannot be seen as a true measure of success.

The key takeaways from the paper include:

1) The lack of consistency in defining a video view is causing discord between advertisers, agencies and publishers and hampering the full potential of the video ecosystem.

2) Though clear and consistent standards are crucial, current viewability guidelines need to be revamped if they are to meet the needs of the industry as a whole.

3) The viewability debate is a major distraction from the adoption of metrics that comprehensively measure success; the industry must also focus on metrics that truly move the needle for advertisers, which target engagement and brand impact, and which see the user experience as paramount.

4) The cost of premium video advertising may be higher than other platforms, but when weighed against its returns – true ad views, engagement, effectiveness and brand-safety assurance – premium video is undeniably more valuable.